School Days: Pathway to Liberty Homeschool Curriculum

It's been said that those who don't learn from History are doomed to repeat it. Unfortunately, for many students, History is not at the top of the list of favorite subjects to study. I remember sitting in class as a teen, watching my teacher write notes on the blackboard that we had to write down in our notebooks. The cycle was the same, write down the notes, memorize the notes, spit the notes back for the test, forget about the notes, lather, rinse, repeat. Unsurprisingly, I retained next to nothing from those lessons. It wasn't until college that I realized how much I loved reading about the lives, cultures, and events of days gone by. As a homeschool parent, this is now one of my favorite subjects to teach. I have some favorite resources that we use, and it seems that I'm adding to my list constantly. These past weeks, we've had the pleasure of reviewing Pathway to Liberty's History Curriculum from Pathway to Liberty Homeschool Curriculum , more specifically, the Pathway to Liberty's US History. About this curriculum: Unlike many programs/courses today, Pathway to Liberty is presented from a Biblical worldview. Founder Jayme MacCullough desires to teach character, free thinking, and an understanding of the foundations of our country/world. As a Christian parent, those aspects are important to me. These materials have been designed to be used with multiple ages and grades in a family, from K-12. There are 26 weeks of lessons, making it a year long course. There are 4 levels within the program.

- Level 1, for K-5th grade

- Level 2, for 4th-6th grade

- Level 3, for 7th-9th grade

- Level 4, for 10th-12th grade

As you would expect, each level includes more in depth study and assignments. My 13 year old 8th grader is using Level 3.

My personality is such that I appreciate details and schedules, and this provides both. We received the Teacher Guide, Student Guide, the book, The Chain of Liberty, and its accompanying Study Guide. Getting started is easy, as the Teacher Guide is organized beautifully. You will find the following for each week:

-Weekly Overview - What will be covered during the week, including teaching objectives, charts, and weekly Scriptures.

- The Lessons - they might last 20 minutes or an hour, depending on the age of students.

- Videos - found on YouTube, and most weeks include one to watch.

- Word Studies - this is something you probably won't find in most History courses.

Your student will need a simple spiral notebook for writing assignments. The first two weeks are "Foundation" weeks. Students will delve into the subjects of Divine Providence, Liberty, Self-Government, and their origins. Week 3 is where you'll jump into US History, as you take a look at Jamestown, and the colonies of Roanoke. There are 4 lessons per week, and the schedule lays out what is to be completed each day. The Teacher guide also includes the assignments for all levels, so if you are teaching multiple grades, you only need the one manual. A typical week looks like this:

Day 1 - Write out the weekly Scripture, Principle, and Leading Idea. Read a passage from the book, The Chain of Liberty, and Bible verses that relate. Complete Discussion questions.

Day 2 - Complete Word Study. Memorize Bible verse. Watch video.

Day 3 - Read Chain of Liberty with Study Guide.

Day 4 - Read Chain of Liberty with Study Guide.

I would note, although it's obvious I'm sure, that you can move around the schedule to complete the assignments to fit your schedule.

Our thoughts:

I was very excited to be reviewing this curriculum. I want my daughters to have an accurate portrayal of History. I was thrilled that this material is presented from a Biblical worldview. Interestingly enough, this feels more like a Bible study than a History resource. There seemed to be a lot of writing assignments, and research, but not as much depth as far as the actual Historical content goes. My daughter found it to be a bit dry, and mentioned that she would have liked it to have more actual History. I think that this is good for character lessons, and yes Bible study with a US History theme, but I do see us using this along with another History program.